"Nessun dorma" (Italian: [nesˌsun ˈdɔrma]; English: "Let no one sleep")[1] is an aria from the final act of Giacomo Puccini's opera Turandot (text by Giuseppe Adami and Renato Simoni) and one of the best-known tenor arias in all opera. It is sung by Calaf, il principe ignoto (the unknown prince), who falls in love at first sight with the beautiful but cold Princess Turandot. Any man who wishes to wed Turandot must first answer her three riddles; if he fails, he will be beheaded. In the aria, Calaf expresses his triumphant assurance that he will win the princess.
Although "Nessun dorma" had long been a staple of operatic recitals, Luciano Pavarotti popularised the piece beyond the opera world in the 1990s following his performance of it for the 1990 FIFA World Cup, which captivated a global audience.[2] Both Pavarotti and Plácido Domingo released singles of the aria, with Pavarotti's reaching number 2 in the UK,[3][4] and it appeared on the best selling classical album of all time, The Three Tenors in Concert.[5]The Three Tenors, which includes José Carreras, performed the aria at three subsequent FIFA World Cup Finals, in 1994 in Los Angeles, 1998 in Paris, and 2002 in Yokohama.[2] Since 1990, many crossover artists have performed and recorded it. The aria has been sung often in films and on television.
In the act before this aria, Calaf has correctly answered the three riddles put to all of Princess Turandot's prospective suitors. Nonetheless, she recoils at the thought of marriage to him. Calaf offers her another chance by challenging her to guess his name by dawn. As he kneels before her, the "Nessun dorma" theme makes a first appearance, to his words, "Il mio nome non sai!" (My name you do not know!). She can execute him if she correctly guesses his name; but if she does not, she must marry him. The cruel and emotionally cold princess then decrees that none of her subjects shall sleep that night until his name is discovered. If they fail, all will be killed.
As the final act opens, it is now night. Calaf is alone in the moonlit palace gardens. In the distance, he hears Turandot's heralds proclaiming her command. His aria begins with an echo of their cry and a reflection on Princess Turandot:
Vanish, o night! Fade, you stars! Fade, you stars! At dawn, I will win! I will win! I will win!
In performance, the final "Vincerò!" features a sustained B5, followed by the final note, an A5 sustained even longer—although Puccini's score did not explicitly specify that either note be sustained.[6] In the original score, the B is written as a sixteenth note while the A is a whole note. Both are high notes in the tenor range. The only recording to follow Puccini's score exactly was the first, sung by Gina Cigna and Francesco Merli, conducted by Franco Ghione.[citation needed]
In Alfano's completion of act 3, the "Nessun dorma" theme makes a final triumphal appearance at the end of the opera. The theme also makes a concluding reappearance in Luciano Berio's later completion (this having been an expressed intention of Puccini's), but in a more subdued orchestration.
Recordings
"Nessun dorma", sung by some of the most famous interpreters of Calaf, appears on the following compilation recordings. (For full-length recordings of the opera, see Turandot discography.)
"Nessun dorma" achieved pop status after Luciano Pavarotti's 1972 recording of it was used as the theme song of BBC television's coverage of the 1990 FIFA World Cup in Italy.[7] It subsequently reached no. 2 on the UK Singles Chart.[8] Although Pavarotti rarely sang the role of Calaf on stage, "Nessun dorma" became his signature aria and a sporting anthem in its own right, especially for football.[7][8] Pavarotti notably sang the aria during the first Three Tenors concert on the eve of the 1990 FIFA World Cup Final in Rome. For an encore, he performed the aria again, taking turns with José Carreras and Plácido Domingo. The image of three tenors in full formal dress singing in a World Cup concert captivated the global audience.[2] The album of the concert achieved triple platinum record status in the United States alone[9] and went on to outsell all other classical recordings worldwide.[5] The number became a regular feature of subsequent Three Tenors concerts, and they performed it at three subsequent FIFA World Cup Finals, in 1994 in Los Angeles, 1998 in Paris, and 2002 in Yokohama.[2]
Pavarotti gave a rendition of "Nessun dorma" at his final performance, the finale of the 2006 Winter Olympics opening ceremony, although it was later revealed that he had lip-synched the specially pre-recorded performance (at the time of his Winter Olympics appearance, Pavarotti was physically incapable of performing, as he was suffering from pancreatic cancer, to which he succumbed the following year).[10] His Decca recording of the aria was played at his funeral during the flypast by the Italian Air Force.[11] In 2013, the track was certified gold by the Federation of the Italian Music Industry.[12]
Crossover and adapted versions
"Nessun dorma" (often in adapted versions of the score) has been performed by many pop and crossover singers and instrumentalists.
Jeff Beck's 2010 album, Emotion & Commotion, includes an instrumental version of this aria where the guitar takes the place of the human voice to an orchestral accompaniment.[21]
"Nessun dorma" has been used in many films,[23] often appearing at a central moment in the film—sometimes with the aria's moment of musical resolution aligned with the film's narrative climax, giving symbolic meaning to the aria's rich emotional impact.
"Nessun dorma" has also accompanied climactic scenes in various television shows. For example, the piece is played at the conclusion of episode 4 of the Korean drama Vincenzo.[34] The aria is seemingly being broadcast over the radio, and the episode ends dramatically with the titular character speaking the final words of the song as Pavarotti sings them, “Tramontate, stelle! All'alba vincerò! Vincerò! Vincerò!”
Nessun dorma is the title of a football podcast, hosted by The Guardian journalist Lee Calvert and featuring sports writers past and present, that celebrates 1980s and 1990s football.[35]
References
^Puccini, Giacomo; Giuseppe Adami; Renato Simoni (1978). "Act III, Scene I". Turandot. Opera Vocal Score Series (in English and Italian). Milano, Italy: Ricordi. p. 291. OCLC 84595094. None shall sleep tonight!
^ abcdThe Music Industry Handbook. Routledge. 2016. p. 219.
^ abClassical Music Magazine, vol. 17, p. 39 (1994).[full citation needed] "And then there's the Three Tenors phenomenon: The London recording from the 1990 concert became the biggest-selling classical album of all time, having now topped 10-million units throughout the world..."
^Puccini scores (musical and contextual analysis of "Nessun dorma"), National Review, July 23, 1990(accessed 8 October 2007) 6 November 2007 at the Wayback Machine
^ ab"A riot of colour, emotion and memories: the World Cup stands alone in the field of sport". The Independent. Archived from the original on 18 June 2022. Retrieved 20 August 2018.
^ ab"Nessun Dorma put football back on map", The Telegraph, September 7, 2007 (accessed 24 September 2015)
^"Pavarotti, Revered Even When Lip-Synching", The New York Times, April 7, 2008 (accessed 7 April 2008)
^BBC News coverage of Pavarotti's final performance (accessed 8 October 2007); BBC News coverage of Pavarotti's funeral (accessed 8 October 2007)
^"Italian single certifications" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Select "Tutti gli anni" in the "Anno" drop-down menu. Select "Singoli" under "Sezione".
^Daly. Mike (2 March 1989). "Two of the Best – In One Week". The Age. Retrieved 29 August 2012.
^The Recording Academy (Grammy.com). 40th Annual Grammy Awards. Retrieved 5 November 2014.
^Huizenga, Tom (28 January 2010). "Grammy's Most Memorable Performances". National Public Radio. Retrieved 5 November 2014.
^Dalley, Jan (6 November 2015). "The Life of a Song: 'Nessun Dorma'". Financial Times. Retrieved 10 May 2016.
^Jay Carr, , The Boston Globe, November 10, 1996. Retrieved via subscription 14 June 2008.
^"No Reservations – Soundtracks". IMDb. 2007. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
^MacNab, Geoffrey (30 July 2015). "Mission Impossible – Rogue Nation, movie review: Tom Cruise, 50, is still like a puppy in this relentless action soap opera". The Independent. Archived from the original on 18 June 2022. Retrieved 5 September 2015.
^"Every Generation Gets the 'Daredevil' It Deserves, PopMatters". PopMatters. 17 April 2015. Retrieved 5 October 2022.
nessun, dorma, film, nessun, dorma, film, vincerò, vincero, redirect, here, album, amaury, vassili, vincerò, amaury, vassili, album, other, uses, vincerò, disambiguation, italian, nesˌsun, ˈdɔrma, english, sleep, aria, from, final, giacomo, puccini, opera, tur. For the film see Nessun Dorma film Vincero and Vincero redirect here For the album by Amaury Vassili see Vincero Amaury Vassili album For other uses see Vincero disambiguation Nessun dorma Italian nesˌsun ˈdɔrma English Let no one sleep 1 is an aria from the final act of Giacomo Puccini s opera Turandot text by Giuseppe Adami and Renato Simoni and one of the best known tenor arias in all opera It is sung by Calaf il principe ignoto the unknown prince who falls in love at first sight with the beautiful but cold Princess Turandot Any man who wishes to wed Turandot must first answer her three riddles if he fails he will be beheaded In the aria Calaf expresses his triumphant assurance that he will win the princess Although Nessun dorma had long been a staple of operatic recitals Luciano Pavarotti popularised the piece beyond the opera world in the 1990s following his performance of it for the 1990 FIFA World Cup which captivated a global audience 2 Both Pavarotti and Placido Domingo released singles of the aria with Pavarotti s reaching number 2 in the UK 3 4 and it appeared on the best selling classical album of all time The Three Tenors in Concert 5 The Three Tenors which includes Jose Carreras performed the aria at three subsequent FIFA World Cup Finals in 1994 in Los Angeles 1998 in Paris and 2002 in Yokohama 2 Since 1990 many crossover artists have performed and recorded it The aria has been sung often in films and on television Contents 1 Context and analysis 2 Recordings 3 Cultural references and adaptations 3 1 Luciano Pavarotti 3 2 Crossover and adapted versions 3 3 In other media 4 References 5 External linksContext and analysis EditIn the act before this aria Calaf has correctly answered the three riddles put to all of Princess Turandot s prospective suitors Nonetheless she recoils at the thought of marriage to him Calaf offers her another chance by challenging her to guess his name by dawn As he kneels before her the Nessun dorma theme makes a first appearance to his words Il mio nome non sai My name you do not know She can execute him if she correctly guesses his name but if she does not she must marry him The cruel and emotionally cold princess then decrees that none of her subjects shall sleep that night until his name is discovered If they fail all will be killed As the final act opens it is now night Calaf is alone in the moonlit palace gardens In the distance he hears Turandot s heralds proclaiming her command His aria begins with an echo of their cry and a reflection on Princess Turandot Nessun dorma source source source Sung by Antonio Salvarezza Problems playing this file See media help Nessun dorma Nessun dorma Tu pure o Principessa nella tua fredda stanza guardi le stelle che tremano d amore e di speranza None shall sleep None shall sleep Not even you oh Princess in your cold bedroom watching the stars that tremble with love and with hope Ma il mio mistero e chiuso in me il nome mio nessun sapra No No Sulla tua bocca lo diro quando la luce splendera But my secret is hidden within me no one will know my name No no On your mouth I will say it when the light shines Ed il mio bacio sciogliera il silenzio che ti fa mia And my kiss will dissolve the silence that makes you mine Just before the climactic end of the aria a chorus of women is heard singing in the distance Il nome suo nessun sapra E noi dovrem ahime morir morir No one will know his name and we will have to alas die die Calaf now certain of victory sings Dilegua o notte Tramontate stelle Tramontate stelle All alba vincero Vincero Vincero Vanish o night Fade you stars Fade you stars At dawn I will win I will win I will win In performance the final Vincero features a sustained B5 followed by the final note an A5 sustained even longer although Puccini s score did not explicitly specify that either note be sustained 6 In the original score the B is written as a sixteenth note while the A is a whole note Both are high notes in the tenor range The only recording to follow Puccini s score exactly was the first sung by Gina Cigna and Francesco Merli conducted by Franco Ghione citation needed In Alfano s completion of act 3 the Nessun dorma theme makes a final triumphal appearance at the end of the opera The theme also makes a concluding reappearance in Luciano Berio s later completion this having been an expressed intention of Puccini s but in a more subdued orchestration Recordings Edit Nessun dorma sung by some of the most famous interpreters of Calaf appears on the following compilation recordings For full length recordings of the opera see Turandot discography The Very Best of Beniamino Gigli EMI Classics The Very Best of Jussi Bjorling EMI Classics Richard Tucker in Recital Columbia Masterworks Myto The Very Best of Franco Corelli EMI Classics Pavarotti Forever Decca The Essential Placido Domingo Deutsche Grammophon Cultural references and adaptations EditLuciano Pavarotti Edit Nessun dorma achieved pop status after Luciano Pavarotti s 1972 recording of it was used as the theme song of BBC television s coverage of the 1990 FIFA World Cup in Italy 7 It subsequently reached no 2 on the UK Singles Chart 8 Although Pavarotti rarely sang the role of Calaf on stage Nessun dorma became his signature aria and a sporting anthem in its own right especially for football 7 8 Pavarotti notably sang the aria during the first Three Tenors concert on the eve of the 1990 FIFA World Cup Final in Rome For an encore he performed the aria again taking turns with Jose Carreras and Placido Domingo The image of three tenors in full formal dress singing in a World Cup concert captivated the global audience 2 The album of the concert achieved triple platinum record status in the United States alone 9 and went on to outsell all other classical recordings worldwide 5 The number became a regular feature of subsequent Three Tenors concerts and they performed it at three subsequent FIFA World Cup Finals in 1994 in Los Angeles 1998 in Paris and 2002 in Yokohama 2 Pavarotti gave a rendition of Nessun dorma at his final performance the finale of the 2006 Winter Olympics opening ceremony although it was later revealed that he had lip synched the specially pre recorded performance at the time of his Winter Olympics appearance Pavarotti was physically incapable of performing as he was suffering from pancreatic cancer to which he succumbed the following year 10 His Decca recording of the aria was played at his funeral during the flypast by the Italian Air Force 11 In 2013 the track was certified gold by the Federation of the Italian Music Industry 12 Crossover and adapted versions Edit Nessun dorma often in adapted versions of the score has been performed by many pop and crossover singers and instrumentalists The 1989 song A Love So Beautiful co written by Roy Orbison and Jeff Lynne borrows the aria s melody 13 In what the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences called the greatest last second substitution act in Grammy history Aretha Franklin sang a soul infused version of the aria in place of Luciano Pavarotti when throat problems caused him to withdraw from the 1998 Grammy Awards show 14 15 The 2002 album Warriors of the World by the band Manowar features a version of the aria 16 In 2004 Ruggero Scandiuzzi inserts his version in the album Io le canto cosi I sing them like this Joker MC 20089 In 2007 Chris Botti recorded a trumpet version of Nessun dorma for his album Italia 17 18 Anohni lead singer of Antony and the Johnsons recorded the aria with the Orchestra Roma Sinfonietta as part of an advertising campaign for the Italian coffee company Lavazza in 2009 19 20 Jeff Beck s 2010 album Emotion amp Commotion includes an instrumental version of this aria where the guitar takes the place of the human voice to an orchestral accompaniment 21 Jennifer Hudson sang the aria with the New York Philharmonic at the We Love NYC The Homecoming Concert in Central Park on August 21 2021 22 In other media Edit Nessun dorma has been used in many films 23 often appearing at a central moment in the film sometimes with the aria s moment of musical resolution aligned with the film s narrative climax giving symbolic meaning to the aria s rich emotional impact Films in which the aria plays a significant role in the soundtrack include The Killing Fields 24 New York Stories 25 The Sea Inside 26 The Sum of All Fears 27 The Mirror Has Two Faces 28 Bend It Like Beckham 23 No Reservations 29 better source needed and Mission Impossible Rogue Nation 30 with the scene set within a performance of Turandot itself It was also used in a climactic scene of the first season of Daredevil 31 It was sung by Pavarotti himself as part of his fictional role in the film Yes Giorgio 32 Nessun dorma is also the title of a short film by Ken Russell included in the 1987 film Aria 33 Nessun dorma has also accompanied climactic scenes in various television shows For example the piece is played at the conclusion of episode 4 of the Korean drama Vincenzo 34 The aria is seemingly being broadcast over the radio and the episode ends dramatically with the titular character speaking the final words of the song as Pavarotti sings them Tramontate stelle All alba vincero Vincero Vincero Nessun dorma is the title of a football podcast hosted by The Guardian journalist Lee Calvert and featuring sports writers past and present that celebrates 1980s and 1990s football 35 References Edit Puccini Giacomo Giuseppe Adami Renato Simoni 1978 Act III Scene I Turandot Opera Vocal Score Series in English and Italian Milano Italy Ricordi p 291 OCLC 84595094 None shall sleep tonight a b c d The Music Industry Handbook Routledge 2016 p 219 Official Charts UK Luciano Pavarotti Official Charts Official Charts UK Placido Domingo Official Charts a b Classical Music Magazine vol 17 p 39 1994 full citation needed And then there s the Three Tenors phenomenon The London recording from the 1990 concert became the biggest selling classical album of all time having now topped 10 million units throughout the world Puccini scores musical and contextual analysis of Nessun dorma National Review July 23 1990 accessed 8 October 2007 Archived 6 November 2007 at the Wayback Machine a b A riot of colour emotion and memories the World Cup stands alone in the field of sport The Independent Archived from the original on 18 June 2022 Retrieved 20 August 2018 a b Nessun Dorma put football back on map The Telegraph September 7 2007 accessed 24 September 2015 American certifications Three Tenors The Recording Industry Association of America Retrieved 8 July 2015 Pavarotti Revered Even When Lip Synching The New York Times April 7 2008 accessed 7 April 2008 BBC News coverage of Pavarotti s final performance accessed 8 October 2007 BBC News coverage of Pavarotti s funeral accessed 8 October 2007 Italian single certifications in Italian Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana Select Tutti gli anni in the Anno drop down menu Select Singoli under Sezione Daly Mike 2 March 1989 Two of the Best In One Week The Age Retrieved 29 August 2012 The Recording Academy Grammy com 40th Annual Grammy Awards Retrieved 5 November 2014 Huizenga Tom 28 January 2010 Grammy s Most Memorable Performances National Public Radio Retrieved 5 November 2014 Dalley Jan 6 November 2015 The Life of a Song Nessun Dorma Financial Times Retrieved 10 May 2016 James Manheim Chris Botti Italia at AllMusic Chris Botti JazzMonthly com Archived from the original on 5 January 2011 Carroll Jim 10 September 2010 On the record The Irish Times Retrieved via HighBeam Research 5 November 2014 subscription required The Guardian 22 October 2009 Antony Hegarty Will sing for coffee Retrieved 5 November 2014 Perusse Bernard Beck in a reflective mood Archived 18 April 2010 at the Wayback Machine Ottawa Citizen 17 April 2020 Devan Cole CBB to air We Love NYC The Homecoming Concert CNN Retrieved 21 August 2021 a b Blank Christopher 13 October 2007 High Note Commercial Appeal Stephen Holden Eloquent Movies With Eloquent Soundtracks The New York Times January 30 1994 LoBrutto Vincent 2008 Martin Scorsese A Biography p 293 Greenwood Publishing Group ISBN 0 275 98705 1 Nelson Pressley The Sea Inside A Quest for Death The Washington Post December 17 2004 Page C05 Gloria Goodale Sum signals change since 9 11 The Christian Science Monitor May 31 2002 Jay Carr Barbra Streisand looks into her Mirror and discovers she s still a funny girl The Boston Globe November 10 1996 Retrieved via subscription 14 June 2008 No Reservations Soundtracks IMDb 2007 Retrieved 1 January 2017 MacNab Geoffrey 30 July 2015 Mission Impossible Rogue Nation movie review Tom Cruise 50 is still like a puppy in this relentless action soap opera The Independent Archived from the original on 18 June 2022 Retrieved 5 September 2015 Every Generation Gets the Daredevil It Deserves PopMatters PopMatters 17 April 2015 Retrieved 5 October 2022 Maslin Janet 24 September 1982 Pavarotti in Giorgio The New York Times Richard Corliss Opera for The Inoperative Time May 2 1988 Vincenzo Soundtrack Season 1 Episode 4 tunefind Retrieved 25 June 2021 Nessun Dorma the podcast that celebrates 1980s and 1990s football The Guardian Retrieved 12 November 2018 External links EditMark D Lew 1997 Commentary on Symbolism Poetry and Nessun Dorma Archived from the original on 8 February 2019 Luciano Pavarotti sings Nessun dorma from Turandot The Three Tenors in Concert 1994 on YouTube official channel of Warner Classics Portals Italy Opera Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Nessun dorma amp oldid 1126300751, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
